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They say every good party ends up in the kitchen.

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Well, baseball is a party, and in Nanaimo the gathering spot was the big wood stove down the hall from Kent’s Kitchen where former players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans would all congregate.

The stove was the centrepiece of the Hall Of Fame Room in the bowels of Serauxmen Stadium. That stove is due to be rolled out the door this spring to make way for a new kind of baseball party – the Nanaimo NightOwls Baseball Club of the West Coast League, and the new team’s office space.

It was not sadness that trailed after that symbol of warmth and camaraderie, however. All those same players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans had worked hard to someday attract a WCL team to their city so to see the space repurposed for such high-calibre ball was a treat, not a gripe.

“We’d have all these old guys come in and just B.S. about baseball,” said Kent Malpass, the man for whom the kitchen was unofficially named. He was one of the young guys who cozied up to that fire, when it first got kindled, and now he is the godfather of these goodfellas.

“If that room had ears, it would have lots of things to talk about. So many great people have worked to keep baseball in Nanaimo going and growing, and a lot of them ended up in that room having those conversations. So many of them have passed on now, great names, great people. Some are in a home now. That’s the way time works. And we’re in the middle of Covid and when that hit, it really shut it all down anyway.”

It was always Thursday morning that the regular gathering would happen, whether there was a ball game on that day or not.

“I’d get there at seven o’clock, and sometimes there were already people waiting to get in,” Malpass said. “They’d show up at 7:30, 8:00, trickling in, but there would often be a dozen of us just here for the conversation and seeing each other, talking about baseball and life.”

The big stove was never the point of these visits, but it was always the unspoken host. Even when there was a lull in the conversation, the crackle of the wood fire would evoke the crack of the bat.

“It’s a big stove. Huge,” Malpass said. “I’ve put wood in that thing at three o’clock in the afternoon and come back at 11 or 12 o’clock the next day and it would still be going.”

Kent and his Serauxmen Service Club members are much the same way. The Nanaimo charity group formed in 1967 over some beers and centennial cheers at the Tally Ho Pub. To this day, it is going strong and Nanaimo is its one and only chapter. They raise tens of thousands of dollars a year for all-local causes. They also pour tens of thousands of dollars worth of in-kind contributions and volunteerism into their community, and baseball is one of their chief loves.

Baseball brings people together, said Malpass, and baseball never ceases to draw in new people but never let go of anyone as they age. It’s something that grows with you no matter who you are or where you are, he said.

When Nanaimo seemed set to take a step up in the baseball world, back in the 1970s, Malpass and the Serauxmen were gleeful. Their club’s name is on the stadium because they took it upon themselves to lead the fundraising and logistics efforts to convert the former coal mine site into a ballpark that is still one of the best in B.C.

It opened in 1976 with a slate of celebrities on-site to throw the first pitches and cut all the ribbons. Malpass still glows at the memory of the top name on that fundraising ticket: the legendary superstar Mickey Mantle. Joining the Yankee Comet was another golden name from baseball’s history, Red Sox Gold-Glover and two-time all-star Jim Piersall.

“We took them fishing and showed them a good time,” said Malpass. “It cost the Serauxmen $5,000 to bring them in, which was a lot of money in 1976, but it worked really well. The place was packed.”

But that wasn’t the end of the Serauxmen commitment to Nanaimo baseball.

“Doug Rogers started the Nanaimo Pirates (of the BC Premier Baseball League) so his brother Danny and I used to do the equipment,” Malpass said, and that volunteer effort carried over into the whole youth baseball league where they would outfit up to 800 kids each year with uniforms, belts, helmets, socks, the whole kit. He would go on buying trips that needed a truck. “It was like Christmas for us, but everything was for the kids.”

A lot of the equipment distribution happened in that same room that eventually became the meeting space.

Malpass wore a lot of different volunteer caps over the years. He would paint the weathered spots on the fence, fix the broken boards on the bleachers, sweep the spilled popcorn, and he was a fixture in the concession kitchen. He grew up in the grocery industry and cooked in restaurants so this was his wheelhouse, but he also sold furniture, assembled satellite antennae, and other career moves that he always turned into a baseball double-play.

“I just love being at the stadium, being around baseball, being with baseball people, it’s a special thing,” he said. He pointed to the example of his friend Burt Lansdale who passed away and wanted his ashes scattered on the pitcher’s mound at the stadium. As the ceremony was going on, as the congregation bowed their heads in prayer, the automatic sprinklers suddenly popped on without warning. Malpass chuckled that even the stadium itself wanted to pay respects to someone who loved being there so much.

“People have a connection to this sport, because it’s more than a sport,” he said.

“Look at what Jim’s done (NightOwls General Manager Jim Swanson) with the team. The Owls were a team in Nanaimo in the 1920s which is where he dug up the name. It’s paying respect, it’s embracing tradition even when you’re doing something new.”

Malpass is excited to see the new team, the new league, and the new level of baseball Nanaimo has grown to embrace. He feels he, his friends, his neighbours, and the Serauxmen club members all had a hand in earning it. He’ll gladly sacrifice more volunteer time and work on the home stadium to make it happen. It’ll keep him as warm as any wood stove whose time has now passed.

That stove is not going to the scrap heap, though. Like the Owls name, it is just changing its context. The stove was a popular item for buildings that still could use that crackling heat, and it will be finding a home that will be fully aware of the history that comes with it.

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – West Coast League meetings to be held in Victoria

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October 6, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — The capital city of British Columbia will become the centre of the West Coast League (WCL) for two days in October.

The 2025 WCL Fall Meetings, featuring a gathering of team owners/directors, will be held in Victoria, October 20-21. This marks the first time the meetings, often staged near a major U.S. airport (Seattle or Portland) for travel and logistics reasons, have been held in Canada since the formation of the collegiate elite baseball league that evolved from a gathering in Kelowna in 2003, with the Kelowna Falcons as one of the founding members — and the lone Canadian entry until the HarbourCats were founded.

Five of the league’s 17 teams now are located in Canada — in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops and Edmonton. Kamloops, Nanaimo and Edmonton all started play in 2022.

The HarbourCats, who joined the WCL for the 2013 season and have watched as eight former players have advanced to the MLB level, will also welcome the league to Victoria in July of 2026 and 2027 when the organization plays host to the WCL All-Star Game festival for consecutive seasons, showcasing Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park. The all-star game was held in Bellingham the last two summers.

“The inner harbour in fall will be a fantastic setting for these meetings, just as it will be for events around the WCL All-Star Game next July,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the group that operates both the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls.

Topics expected to be discussed are the finalization of the league’s 2026 schedule, WCL marketing initiatives, and ways to improve best practices around player, coach and umpire development — the keystone goal of the WCL.

“I’m incredibly excited to visit Victoria for our fall meetings,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer. “The city’s rich baseball history and beautiful scenery will provide the perfect backdrop for our teams to discuss the future of the League in one of my favorite WCL markets.”

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Lock in your season tickets today to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

 

 

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Summer Collegiate

All-Stars Hayes and Zenk returning to Owls in 2026

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NANAIMO, B.C. — They put on a show for fans at historic Serauxmen Stadium, and they got better as the summer went on.

Talan Zenk (Everett CC) and Jacob Hayes (Azusa Pacific), two West Coast League all-stars in 2025, are returning to the Nanaimo NightOwls next summer — the priority first signings by Head Coach Cody Andreychuk and GM Tina Cornett.

“These two players really enjoyed performing in front of WCL fans, and especially our great fans in Nanaimo,” said Andreychuk, the local product who will enter his second season as the NightOwls’ head coach. “They developed, and they got a chance to be leaders. We are proud of how they represented us at the all-star game and we are very happy they are eager to be in Nanaimo again. These are great young men who represent their schools and families so well.”

Zenk, who was the ultimate utility player by serving in both the infield and outfield, was a spark plug at the top of the order — he hit .289 with 10 stolen bases, four home runs, seven doubles and two triples. The 19-year-old from Brier, WA, had a .853 OPS.

Hayes is without a question the best power hitter the NightOwls have ever had in blue and gold, following up a 19-bomb spring at college by hitting 10 home runs (team record) in 49 WCL games, batting .250 with 44 hits, 30 walks and 39 runs driven in, all while playing nearly every game at first base. The 20-year-old from Anacortes, WA is entering his sophomore season at Azusa Pacific. He was the NightOwls player of the year in 2025.

SEASON TICKETS — The best seats can be secured now! Email tina@nanaimonightowls.com to lock in your 2026 NightOwls season tickets, with versatile fan-friendly flex options to see the best baseball on Vancouver Island. The NightOwls enter their fifth season in the WCL and have had a player selected in the MLB draft each of the last three seasons.

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Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Fall Indoor Youth Training Sessions Now Available!

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Sessions begin September 30th (softball) and October 4th (baseball). Register NOW!

The Victoria HarbourCats and the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) are now taking individual bookings for our Fall 2025 indoor training sessions for both baseball and softball.

The “Offseason Academy“, presented by The EFTC, is designed to keep athletes sharp, confident, and improving long after the final game of summer. Built for youth players who want to stay ahead of the competition, our Academy focuses not only on technical skill development but also on the physical conditioning that keeps athletes strong and game-ready.

With a lineup of specialized camps in areas such as hitting, analytics, and fastball skills, athletes can train with experienced coaches, benefit from professional-level technology like HitTrax, and build the habits that matter most during the offseason.

All sessions take place in the same professional training facility used by the HarbourCats and Victoria Golden Tide, giving players access to a proven environment for growth and performance.

2025 Fall Sessions Include:

Baseball, Advance Hitting Analytics, $159, Saturdays, 1:15-3:15, October 4 thru November 22. Ages 12-17
The Advanced HitTrax Analytics Hitting Camp is built for serious baseball athletes aged 12–17 who want to take a deeper dive into the analytics behind their swing. Led by Dexter Stoiber from the Victoria Golden Tide collegiate roster, this camp goes beyond basic mechanics to show players how to interpret advanced hitting data, identify areas for improvement, and make the small tweaks that translate into real results on the field. REGISTER HERE

Baseball, Foundations and Futures, $299, Saturdays, 9:00am- 1:00pm, October 4 thru November 22. Ages 8-11
Foundations & Futures” is a high-energy baseball camp for players aged 8–11. This camp delivers professional-grade instruction in a dynamic, fun environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and carry your skills into next season. REGISTER HERE

Baseball, High Performance Prep, $225, Saturdays, 3:30-6:30pm, October 4 thru November 22. Ages 12-15.
High Performance Prep” is designed for players aged 12–15 who are ready to refine their skills and maintain peak form after summer. This camp delivers advanced instruction in a focused, competitive environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and prepare for the season ahead. REGISTER HERE

Fastball / Softball, Offseason Advantage, $199, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5-7pm, September 30 thru October 29. Ages 12-17
The Softball / Fastball Skills Camp is built for athletes aged 12–17 who want to strengthen every part of their game during the offseason. With trusted instruction from Maddie Kumala, one of the most respected coaches and players in the fastball community, this camp provides parents with the peace of mind that their athlete is learning in a structured, professional, and supportive environment. REGISTER HERE

There are limited spaces in each camp so don’t delay. Register NOW!

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